Inter Milan, one of the strongest sides in the Serie A, have been struggling in the competition, as they languish in the ninth position. They play Napoli in an important clash tonight, as the Serie A moves into the business end of the competition.
Inter Milan do not head into the huge clash with full confidence as they have suffered two back-to-back defeats in the competition, after winning a few matches in a trot. It is such kind of inconsistency, which has been a huge problem for Inter Milan and their new manager, Roberto Mancini.
With Napoli 13 points away from the table toppers, Juventus, Rafael Bentiez's men need to focus on each game they play from here on, as they would not be able to catch Juventus, but need to be careful of not giving away the Champions League spot.
The fight for the elusive European spot is very close between Napoli, Lazio, Fiorentina and Sampdoria, as only three points separate these teams.
Hence, it is important that Benitez's men defeat Inter Milan tonight, as the difference could get wider for the Champions League spot, but a loss could prove to be a step back.
On the contrary, if Lazio wins against Fiorentina, Le Aquile could leap ahead of Napoli as well.
Mancini's men could be in for a tough match, as Napoli players would be more than eager to prove themselves after suffering a surprise defeat against Torino over the weekend. If players such as Gokhan Inler, Merek Hamsik, Jose Callejon and Gonzalo Higuain play to their potential, Rafa's men could ease through the game.
But, they cannot afford to take Inter easily as well, for they have one of the best managers in world football, Mancini, who has proved himself with top clubs around the world. One would not be sure as to what kind of game plan Mancini opt for during the game.
Mancini only took over Inter Milan in November and has got two key players in the January transfer window in the form of Xherdan Shaqiri and Lukas Podolski, who could play a pivotal role during today's game as well.
Rafa Benitez is aware that Inter have become strong after January signings, as he told Radio Kiss Kiss, "Inter were strong, but have become even stronger after the January transfer window. The side looks more balanced, although they spent a lot of money to achieve it."
After this huge clash tonight, Inter Milan have a huge game over the week as well against Wolfsburg in Europa League.
Where to Watch Live
The game is set to begin at 2:45pm ET (1:15am IST, 7:45pm GMT) with live TV coverage on Star Sports 2/HD in India.
Viewers in the US can catch the action live on beIN Sports USA, while the game can also be live-streamed online on beIN Sports Connect; residents of UK can catch the game live on BT Sport 1.
Football fans across Indonesia can watch it live on Orange TV Indonesia, while the Malaysian viewers can catch the action on Astro On The Go.
